Rexxar, Champion of the Horde, is a half-ogre, half-orc beastmaster[1] of the Mok'Nathal clan, and may be one of the the few from the clan. He saved the city of Orgrimmar from the hatred of an enemy of the Horde. He was instrumental in assisting the Horde after the fall of the Burning Legion. Due to his mixed lineage, he is a towering and massively muscled warrior, and he wields his two huge axes with tremendous skill and ferocity. Rexxar is always seen with his loyal bear companion Misha.

History

The wars

Rexxar was one of the Horde warriors, a fruit from the union between orcs and ogres.[2] Rexxar was originally part of the pacifist Mok'Nathal clan, based on Draenor in the Blade's Edge Mountains, under the watchful guard of his father, Leoroxx. Unwelcome by both the full-blooded orcs and ogres in the area, the Mok'Nathal were secular and isolationist, wishing little else but to be left to their own devices. But their pacifist ways gave him no reason to stay, he saw great potential for his people in Azeroth, the world beyond the Dark Portal, and despite his father's wishes, he eventually left his isolated clan behind and joined the Horde and left through the Dark Portal during the First War. The beastmaster was accompanied by a large black wolf, Haratha, his loyal companion.[3]

After the Horde's defeat in the Second War, Rexxar briefly returned to Draenor. When Ner'zhul launched his own invasion of Azeroth to retrieve certain artifacts, Rexxar was stationed with Grom Hellscream and the Warsong clan on the Azerothian side of the Dark Portal. He remained in the Horde's service until just after the destruction of Draenor and the second destruction of the Dark Portal. Rexxar grew sickened by the senseless killing that the orcish race seemed to favor, and particularly the constant betrayals — first by Gul'dan and then by Ner'zhul. His resolve was further weakened when Haratha was drained of its life essences by an orcish warlock when he lept in between them to save his master. He slew the warlock but had lost his companion. He declared that he would only trust beasts from thereon out, and left the Horde to wander the world on which he was now stranded.[4]

Through his journeys in the wilderness, he came to befriend a bear named Misha, who would come whenever summoned by Rexxar. Together, they traveled to Kalimdor, where they roamed the Barrens away from civilization. But his journeys had seen nothing but wars amongst the so-called "civilized" creatures.

Founding of Durotar and the new Horde

Upon one of his journeys, however, he encountered Mogrin, an orc warrior who came under attack by a group of quilboars. Rexxar tried to help the orc, but the quilboars struck a fatal blow, and the warrior fell. In his last wish, Mogrin asked Rexxar to deliver a message to Thrall, the orc Warchief, in the city of Orgrimmar and to keep Mogrin's death an honorable one. Rexxar agreed and made the journey to Orgrimmar.

When he arrived, he found Thrall and delivered the message, and Thrall invited him to stay a while, mentioning that this land was as much Rexxar's as it was his own. Insisting to earn his keep, Rexxar volunteered to help out around the city. He visited Drek'Thar, Nazgrel, and Gazlowe, who commissioned him to retrieve [Shimmerweed] from Thunder Ridge, kill the harpy queen Bloodfeather, and collapse the Kobold Mining Columns, respectively. He also received the help of Rokhan.

After he had helped out Thrall's friends, Rexxar was sent to Gar'thok's outpost where the orc surveyed the coast for activity. Rexxar fought his way to the observatory nearby and found a suspicious amount of human activity along the coast. Rexxar reported his findings to Thrall, who then sent Nazgrel with Rexxar back to Gar'thok's outpost.

Rexxar made a short detour to meet Drek'Thar at Thunder Ridge where the farseer found the thunder lizards driven mad. Upon further investigation, they found a humanlumber mill where many trees had been harvested. Rexxar was ready to destroy the mill, but Drek'Thar forbade it, citing a non-aggression treaty with the humans. Rexxar was forced to put the maddened thunder lizards down before they caused any more harm.

Upon arrival at Gar'thok's outpost, Nazgrel and Rexxar found it razed by the humans, and so followed the trail of blood back to a human camp on the coast. Immediately hostile, Rexxar threw all treaties aside and destroyed the camp and then returned to report to Thrall.

Thrall was amazed at the audacity of these humans and questioned Jaina's involvement. Rokhan was worried, however, that the humans may strike at the Echo Isles where his people had settled. Rexxar, Rokhan, and their allies traveled by zeppelin to the Echo Isles where they found that the Darkspear tribe had already come under attack.

Their leader, Vol'jin, briefly transformed Rexxar, Chen, and Rokhan into spirit wyverns so that they could assist the batriders in destroying the battleships assaulting the coastal villages. Upon return, Vol'jin sent Rexxar to light signal pyres telling the trolls to head for the mainland. These were guarded by the lord of the sea giants known as the Sea King.

Rexxar returned to Thrall, where the Warchief had received a summons to a peace summit with Jaina, but Rexxar didn't trust the humans and volunteered to go in his place. When he arrived at the summit, he found an ambush waiting and no sight of Jaina.

Thrall suspected that deceit was afoot and prepared a letter for Jaina in the hopes of mending the problem, then sent Rexxar to meet with her on Theramore Island. Rexxar and his party asked Samuro, a blademaster, to plant explosives to distract the guards of the human coastal settlement on Dustwallow Marsh long enough for Rexxar to slip by. However, Samuro remembered his previous mission to eliminate an enraged wildkin named Bloodbeak who was hiding nearby, and thus had to complete it before going for the humans. Rexxar then met with Jaina, who denied any knowledge of this force, and condemned any attack on Thrall. She demanded to see these soldiers for herself.

Rexxar brought Jaina back to the camp only to find it destroyed by the naga. Rexxar and Jaina fought through the force of snake-people looking for any survivors. After finally defeating the naga, led by the naga sea witchLady Darkscale and her guard Scilla Murkshadow, they found a single human footman dying who said that the "Admiral" would be pleased to see Jaina safe.

Rexxar was confused at Jaina's horror, but trusted her enough to follow her back to Theramore quickly. Upon arriving, however, a fleet of ships arrived and Jaina's father, Daelin Proudmoore, arrived. The moment he saw Rexxar, he immediately ordered his capture, despite Jaina's pleas. Rexxar and his friends fled the city, fighting through the naval guards, and returned to the Darkspear village informing Vol'jin what had passed. Notable stations of human naval guards were led by Grand WizardZerx Hydromon and naval Royal GuardThornby.

Vol'jin made it out to inform Thrall of the imminent invasion, and suggested that Rexxar go and enlist the aid of the tauren tribes along the mesas of the land of Mulgore to aid them in the coming battle. Rexxar traveled to Mulgore to meet with Cairne Bloodhoof, and when he arrived, Cairne told him to return to Thrall and tell him that he had died of a broken heart. His second, Tagar, explained that Cairne's son, Baine Bloodhoof, had been kidnapped by centaurs and that Cairne had since grown depressed and lethargic. Rexxar led an expedition to rescue Baine Bloodhoof with the help of the taurenspirit walker leader, Bovan Windtotem. Upon returning, Cairne was re-energized and agreed to pledge his people to the Horde, and to personally return with Rexxar.

When they returned to the Darkspear village, Vol'jin showed them a tired ogre who had come from Dustwallow Marsh with news that a new warlord had taken over the Stonemaul clan of ogres, and that his cruelty and brutality were leading the ogres to ruin. Vol'jin and Rexxar agreed that this was an excellent opportunity to sway the ogres onto their side. Rexxar traveled to Dustwallow Marsh and found the Stonemaul clan. Though they initially rejected Rexxar because of his mixed blood, he proved himself by running a gauntlet and returning alive. Warlord Kor'gall was impressed and allowed Rexxar to join the clan.

Rexxar used his new position to ask the ogres for assistance. Kor'gall mockingly reminded him that they were no longer friends to the orcs. Rexxar was forced to fight Kor'gall for leadership of the clan. Kor'gall proved to be a powerful foe, and Rexxar had to rely heavily on his beast friends to defeat him. Finally, Kor'gall fell and Rexxar assumed the position of chieftain. He then led the Stonemaul ogres back to Tidefury Cove where Thrall was assembling the Horde. Thrall named Rexxar Champion of the Horde and gave him the honor of leading the Horde against Proudmoore's forces. After a difficult battle, they razed Proudmoore's stronghold and sent the Admiral into a retreat. Yet, Thrall knew that Proudmoore would not stop there.

The Horde pursued Proudmoore back to the shores of Theramore Island. Thrall sent in his foot soldiers to keep Proudmoore's forces at bay while Rexxar and his few companions wove through the battle to face off against Proudmoore and his most loyal retainers. In the end, Rexxar and Proudmoore squared off in mortal combat. Rexxar emerged victorious. With Proudmoore's defeat, the battle ground to a halt and Jaina collapsed onto the body of her father. Rexxar attempted to comfort Jaina by telling her that, above all else, her father was a proud warrior and should be remembered as such. Rexxar, Thrall, and the rest of the Horde then proceeded to withdraw from Theramore.

Thrall invited Rexxar to return to Durotar with him, but Rexxar told him that his place was still in the wild but said that he would always be part of the Horde and that he would always be there when he was needed. He named the ogre Mok'Morokk as the new leader of the Stonemaul clan and disappeared into the barren wilderness.

Cycle of Hatred

Rexxar alongside his bear, Misha, found an old orc who was attacked by the Burning Blade clan. He brought the orc to Thrall in Orgrimmar to seek medical aid for Byrok. Byrok then told Thrall about the Burning Blade clan and Rexxar was peripherally involved in the subsequent altercation between Durotar and Theramore; he defended Jaina Proudmoore, citing her loyalty to Thrall, even against her own father. Rexxar swiftly returned to the wilds.

World of Warcraft

Unfortunately, the Stonemauls were recently assailed by the black dragonflight and forced from their home. To make matters worse, Mok'Morokk was revealed as a selfish tyrant and was eventually usurped by another ogre named Tharg with the help of an ogre-mage named Draz'Zilb. Mok'Morokk fled Brackenwall.

Rexxar wishes to find more of his people and perhaps one day make peace with his father, Leoroxx, who remains embittered about Rexxar's decision to join the Horde. When he entered the Mountains, Rexxar was attacked by Bladespire ogres who captured his wyvern Leokk. He also met and befriended Baron Sablemane, though he does not know that Sabellian is a black dragon.

Eventually, Garm Wolfbrother revealed the location of the Mok'Nathal clan and with the help of the adventurers, a friend in disguise and his companions, he helped his clan by defeating the Bloodmaul ogres and their gronn master. He also managed to have Leokk freed and Rexxar went and killed Goc.

Cataclysm

Rexxar's companions

As his title of beastmaster suggests, Rexxar is a master of the wild and has befriended many creatures in his travels. Though he is most often seen with his faithful bear Misha, he is also been known to call upon his other animal friends when needed. They are:

Memorable quotes

"I have watched the other races... I have seen their squabbling, their ruthlessness. Their wars do nothing but scar the land, and drive the wild things to extinction. No, they cannot be trusted. Only beasts are above deceit."

Notes

Shortly after the events of Landfall, Vol'jin, betrayed by Garrosh Hellscream, thought of Rexxar and wished he would be with him fighting the Zandalari trolls. Vol'jin even saw him in a vision.[5]

Rexxar is described as a half-breed in some sources and a half-ogre half-orc (or half-orc half-ogre)[6] in others. He is also simply called a "half-ogre" or a "half-orc" at times.[7] Along with these descriptions, there are sources that imply that his mother was an orc.[8] His father is apparently a half-ogre as well, though he has the model of a large orc.

Rexxar is called, in his own words, the "last son of the Mok'Nathal", sometimes "last of the Mok'Nathal". This could mean several things:

that he is the last of his clan (which has been proven false), or at least thought he was the last;

that he is the last half-ogre in the Mok'Nathal clan (unknown);

or that he is the last of his kind on Azeroth (other half-ogres have appeared after his exploits although they may not be part of the Mok'Nathal clan)

Prior to the Burning Crusade expansion, his model appeared to be that of just a recolored orc; his model now more strongly resembles his appearance in Warcraft III.

Rexxar's mask bears a striking resemblance to the character Darkwolf from the 1980s cult classic animated film Fire & Ice.

His in-game model is an obvious retexture of a regular male orc, however, the sounds he makes in combat are in fact borrowed from Fel orcs.

Rexxar has gained a tremendous amount of HP following Cataclysm (an amount further bolstered by Mists of Pandaria), and now boasts more health than any other character (or boss) in Outland.

Blizzard has revealed that they want to do something cool with Rexxar in the future.[9]

In an interview with Jesse Cox, Dave Kosak revealed they had originally planned to involve Rexxar in an event in Battlefield: Barrens where he 'plants his flag in the ground and you defend him against waves of Kor'kron' but they ran out of time.[11]

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